The Washington bee., 1887-01-22

confirmation of Mr.. Matthews.
All that ingenuity of mind could
suggest to accomplish that end
was brought forward. The eli
max Was reached Senators, when
The republican clerk in the Sixth
Auditors office referred to his war
record and ended with a p"rorA.
riou in which he used the follow
ing: Senators, would you vote to
confirm a CO ored man who stood
on the street corners iu Albany
making r. bel speeches and jeering
at Union soldiers on their way to
the front, while [ sir was haring
my breast 10 rebel bullet~?' A
more Infamous lie never escaped
the lips of man, for at the period
referred to Mr.. Matthews was
13 years old and a pupil of The
Albany district school The dis
tinguished Senator to whom these
remarks were addres ed turned
to the venerable and respected
Frederick Douglass for light, but
none came, aye worse, for he the
great Douglass who had known
the parents of this much abus, d
and outraged young man brfore
he saw the sunlight of fe, and
who hal listened to the eloquent
pleldings made hy this boy orator
IN 1868 in behalf of Grant and
Colfax aud who subs quently
poke from the same platform
with him on emancipation day
sto' d by and not only confirmed
10y his silence this Infamous lie,
but added II don't want him con-
frmed." The effect of this word
assassination was demonstrated in
the subs quent acton of the Dis
tIict committee reporting adverse
ly upou the confirm tion of Mr..
Matthews which was ratified by
your honorable body. Thus ended
the first Act. Tue secoLd C M
meneel with tile entr.e, by ap
pointm Mt of President Cleveland
of Mr.. Matthews upon his official
duti as Recorder of Deeds who
without the fainte:s suspicion OF
he meth,.d ard ;gen used
other than those instisa'e,l by u
ward politician in Albany and
that of cal ,olor prejudice, to
defe t him with malice tuwar, 9
n ne and hali'y to all extended
t, Fred rick Douglass. the cour-
t,sy or his private Off e, to use
at L pI, asure aud convenience,
furnishing him with a key for that
purpose. A closer intimacy with
the man whom he said he "did
not want confirmed" revealed
that lie Douglass had been imposed
upon 10y the coterie who visited
s, nat and others and i'm
a burst of an honest sense OF lus>
tee used these words to Mr.. Mat
thews, 81 have done you injustice.
[ have done you wrong which l
will repair before l 60 abroad;
you have been mise epres nted to
me, you are diff rent man from
what have been l.d to supp ose
Mr. Douglass, subst tquently used
the same language on the morning
of mis- departure TO gentleman
we'll kn>w in this community
ard who holds a responsible po
sition in the House If Represen-
tatives. Yet Mr.. Douglass with a
full knowledge of the weight and
effect of his acts and saying upon
The confirmation Of Mr.. Matthews
has given no sign of repairing the
injury done the character and
reputation of a young man, whose
chief sin, in his Douglass eyes, is
to succeed him. 1t would In our
judgment be in better tase for
republicans holding effi''es under
a democratic administration to
look after their own fe'ces," aud
net be aiding and abet ing the
destruction of their dem cratic
neighb ,rs. Among the so colled
representative ,lored men quoted
by distinguished memb r, of your
body as opposing Mr.. Matthews
confirmation is a gentleman who
failed of reelection to the next
House of Representative aud
who 8. eks revenge for the wrongs
done him by the democrats in his
district by opposing, with a | the
bitterness of his nature, the con-
tirmation of Mr.. Matthews. Why
this gentleman should select Mr.